Feral Mage 3: Chapter 12

Bryce set the pack in the back of the wagon, drawing Janna’s gaze as she worked to hook up the horses. She smiled at him as her tails whisked about.

“Bryce, I said I could get this,” Janna stated. “No need to cut your breakfast short to come help me.”

He tugged on the pack to make sure it was secure and returned Janna’s smile with one of his own. He did have a reason to come out here and help her.

“I thought this might give us a chance to talk,” Bryce said, moving closer to her. “At least until Callie and Vex cause trouble in the tavern.”

He felt Janna’s tails brush against him affectionately as he stood by her. By the third strike, Bryce had placed an arm around her waist and pulled her against him, kissing the top of her head. Janna let out a happy hum as she turned her focus from the wagon to him.

“Did you want to talk or just to flirt with me?” she asked.

Bryce kissed her again.

“I wish it were just to flirt, but I’m curious why you’re not using your naginata,” Bryce said before sighing. “And I’m not buying that it’s because it’s your family weapon.”

Janna’s tails fell away, though she stayed against him.

“Because reactions like that aren’t from just wanting to keep a family heirloom safe,” Bryce added.

The kitsune sighed.

“It’s not a normal weapon, and I don’t mean that just because it’s my family’s,” Janna said, then bit her lip. “But I should be using it. The fight on the bridge might have been different if I had his… it’s help.”

Bryce held his fox, looking down at her.

“I’m here if you want to talk about it,” Bryce offered.

Janna scoffed.

“You would think I’m crazy,” she said.

Her tails started to sway slowly behind her.

“Janna, the only time I ever thought you were crazy was the time you sent Vex to get supplies alone,” Bryce said with a laugh.

“We lived on bacon and candy for almost three days,” Janna sighed, recalling the supplies Vex had bought.

Bryce nodded.

“And Vex couldn’t have been happier during those days,” Bryce said. “I swear her stomach is made of iron.”

“She just didn’t understand why we were sick of it after the first day,” Janna chuckled before patting him on the arm. “I’m going to start training with my naginata again and bring it with me. I’m not quite ready to talk about why it’s an unusual weapon, but once I am, I will tell you. Just promise you won’t think I’m crazy.”

Bryce hummed as he thought. Four fluffy tails batted him in response, and Janna shot him a smirk.

***

Evening was setting in before they arrived back at Witchbrook. The trip had been slower due to Callie’s injuries, and Bryce was set to take her to a healer right away, despite the snow elf’s protest.

“This isn’t the way to the guildhall,” Vex said with a sleepy yawn.

Bryce looked back to see the wolfkin finally awake and rubbing her eyes, though Omelet was still fast asleep, lying across her lap.

“We’re going to the temple to get Callie healed,” Bryce stated. “Tomorrow I’ll update Isabelle on the contract.”

If she doesn't find me first.

“We don’t need to go to the temple, I’m sure there’s someone at the guild who can—” the wagon struck a pot hole, and Callie’s sentence switched to a hiss of several swear words.

She didn’t protest again until after they arrived at the temple and the wagon finally stopped moving. Bryce gazed up at the tall marble building, the images of the Divine carved into the side depicting various legends and myths. He looked for any depicting a four-eyed elvish woman, but he already knew he wouldn’t. Ciarra was a heretical Goddess, at least according to Alex.

Unlike the small temple he had visited with Janna back in Stonewall, this was a temple for a major city and had several priests and priestesses, each dedicated to a different Divine. A variety of colorful robes moved about the temple as the servants of the divine, as they referred to themselves, went about their various tasks.

“Big,” Vex stated, staring up at the roof of the building.

Janna stared up as well, her tails flicking back and forth. “How many floors do you think it has?”

Bryce helped a reluctant Callie from the back of the wagon.

“Just two floors. It has a high ceiling for the acoustics,” Callie informed while grimacing. “Even in the elvish kingdoms Witchbrook’s temple is known for its choirs.”

One of the priestesses hurried over to them as Bryce and the girls escorted a limping Callie to the temple’s door.

“Are you in need of healing?” she asked.

Callie glared at the young priestess for the obvious question, but Bryce answered before the Frozen Rose showed her thorns.

“Yes, we are. Could you take us to someone skilled in healing magic?” he asked.

She nodded and began guiding them into the temple, the interior featuring a high marble ceiling and colorful paintings of the various deities. Even the ceiling itself depicted the divine looking down on the mortals within their halls.

They finally stopped when they arrived at a small room off to the side, near a shrine for the Goddess of Nature and Healing. Several priestesses wearing white joined the one who was guiding them and ushered Callie into a room.

“We will need to undress her to heal the injuries,” One of the priestesses informed him. “Please wait in the hallway while we work. Prayers and donations to the goddess may help and are appreciated.”

Callie scoffed.

“He has seen me nude more than a few times,” she said.

The priestess’s face turned bright red.

Bryce cleared his throat while flipping his dog tag over his shirt.

“I was hoping you could direct me to someone knowledgeable in the lesser-known Divine and their history?” Bryce asked.

The priestess bowed.

“We all spend years learning about the Gods and Goddesses. Ask and I’m sure any of us will be able to answer your question,” the priestess said, though her face was still red from Callie’s words.

His lips thinned, and he leaned in closer to her.

“It’s for a job, and I believe it’s related to a heretical Goddess,” Bryce said quietly.

Though not quietly enough, given the narrow eyes Callie was staring at him with. The red had left the priestess’s face, and she had now turned pale. Slowly, she nodded her head.

“Sister Harper will be able to help you with that,” she said.

The priestess turned and gestured for Bryce to follow her. He looked to Vex and Janna, both of whom were also looking at him curiously. He forced a smile on his face.

Why did I try to be quiet when all the women in my life have inhuman hearing?

“You two keep Callie company. I’ll be back,” he stated.

He then turned and followed the priestess through the temple. She moved briskly toward the staircase and to the second floor. Bryce took a moment to look down at the main floor of the temple, seeing the worshipers moving along the marble floor, before he continued following the priestess.

The second floor seemed to be less decorated with imagery of the Divine compared to the ground floor, and Bryce guessed that this was where the temple staff did their work.

“This is Sister Harper’s study,” the priestess said, gesturing to a unmarked door.

Bryce started to thank the woman, but she quickly moved away from the door as if fearful that Sister Harper would step out at any moment. He watched her hurry to the stairs before turning back and knocking on the door.

“What do you want?” a gruff female voice boomed. “I told you not to disturb—”

The door opened to an old woman with gray hair and several scars on her face. She narrowed her eyes at Bryce before leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed.

“Who the hells are you?” she asked.

Bryce blinked, slightly startled by a priestess swearing in the temple of the Divine. Before he could answer, her eyes focused on the steel dog tag around his neck.

“Did Alex or Mark send you?” she growled. “I told Alex I would have the books on fables for him soon.”

Bryce cleared his throat.

“Neither Mark nor Alex sent me,” he started before remembering what Alex had said about gathering books related to divine changing magic. “Though I do think those books are meant for me.”

The old woman narrowed her eyes at him.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

She looked like, depending on his answer, she’d either let him into the room or knock him back down to the first floor.

“Bryce,” he answered.

The woman moved away from the door, letting him enter.

“So you are the man Alex was talking about,” she said. “I’m Harper, and don’t you dare call me Sister Harper like the young ones here. I hate that name.”

Bryce entered the room, which was fairly large, but so packed with items that there was just a small space in the center of the room with a table laden with books. Most of the items within the room were statues, artwork, and dozens of bookshelves.

He froze as his eyes landed on one statue that was very familiar to him, an elven woman with four eyes carved from black stone.

“Alex asked to borrow these books for you since the University lost theirs in the recent fire,” Harper said, holding three books out to Bryce. “I expect you to take good care of them and return them before the end of the week.”

When he didn’t respond, she looked where his eyes were fixed on the statue.

“You recognize that?” she asked.

Bryce felt a cold sweat form on his face as his mouth went dry.

“Ciarra,” he answered.

Harper pushed the books into his arms.

“One of the Goddesses from the drow pantheon. The few survivors of the fall of the drow Kingdom attribute it to her since she’s the Mother of Monsters. The University believes it was a partly collapsed tunnel that opened the kingdom up to invasion by monsters, and they were drawn into the tunnels in search of food during a time of scarcity,” Harper stated. “Though there are also a dozen other theories on it.”

Bryce looked to her, his brows furrowed.

“Drow survivors?” he asked.

Harper hummed as she tilted her hand back and forth.

“There are mentions of an ethnic enclave within the Saltland Kingdom before the arrival of man, but those were back when the heart of the sea elves' Kingdom was what’s now known as Lich Tomb,” Harper answered. “Once the island fell and became a haven for undead, any mentions of the drow enclave vanished in future works.”

“Why is there a statue of a heretical Goddess in the temple?” he asked.

Harper laughed.

“They used to keep them in the University, but the previous Duke of Witchbrook was an extremely pious man. He believed keeping heretical items sealed away within the temple would show the superiority of the true Divine,” Harper said, then tapped on the books he was holding. “But you didn’t come here to speak to me about an old statue gathering dust. Alex said you were looking into the fables of the Divines’ Champions?”

Bryce nodded, then looked at the books she had given him.

“I take it these are the fables?” he asked.

“Yes. Though there’s nothing in them about the Soul Mimic magic you’re looking into,” Harper said, moving to the table and lifting a wineskin behind a stack of books.

At first, Bryce thought it must be filled with water, but as she removed the stopper and took a deep swig, he could smell the aroma of wine in the air.

She is the most unpriestess-like priestess I’ve ever met.

“Do they mention the ways one becomes blessed by the Divine? And what does it mean to be a Champion?” Bryce asked, though his mind wasn’t on the Soul Mimic.

Harper wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her habit.

“The only way to receive the blessing of the Divine is either through a relic with their power or by a ritual being performed to gain their attention. As for what it means to—”

Bryce was about to ask why Harper stopped when he felt arms wrap around his waist, looking down he saw Vex glaring at the older woman.

“My Bryce!” Vex declared as she clung to him. The callingstone necklace in her hand.

Harper burst into laughter and took another sip of her wine.

“He’s all yours,” she said to Vex before looking at him. “The fables give enough examples. I won’t keep you from your women.”

Bryce thanked the old priestess before letting Vex drag him out of the room to where Callie and Janna were waiting. Janna was looking curiously at the items inside the room, but Callie’s gaze was fixed on him with narrowed eyes.